Approval rules: matching review authority to business risk

Approval is a decision that a transaction may proceed under the organisation's rules. It differs from entering data and from posting the resulting accounting entry. A well-designed approval process identifies who must decide, what information they need and which exceptions require additional review.

The process should match the business risk. A routine low-value purchase and an unusual major commitment may need different review, but the exact thresholds are company policy rather than universal ERP rules.

Approval configuration in DNA

DNA's Approval Setup defines rules by transaction type, with enabled state, levels, value limits and supported zone, department and cost-centre options. The reviewed form validates required roles within the relevant level structure. Zone-based stock-transfer configuration has a distinct handling path.

These options should be used where the transaction type supports them. The existence of several options does not mean every transaction uses every approval basis simultaneously.

Changing a rule affects ongoing work

An approval rule can already have pending documents. DNA's save flow recognises a server response indicating that such documents block a rule change, then presents the returned resolution options. A subsequent force-update or force-delete request carries the selected action and notes.

This means a rule change is not merely an edit to a label. The organisation must understand what happens to documents already awaiting approval before choosing a resolution.

A practical example

Northstar wants additional review for purchases above a fictional USD 5,000 threshold. The business should define the responsible role and the intended treatment of documents already pending. It should also test the relevant boundary cases using the approved workflow.

Saving the rule does not prove that every existing document has been rerouted or approved. Review the resulting rule, pending-document outcome and actual approval history before relying on the change.